Microsoft - Discrimination at the Workplace

Reacting to increasing media coverage of lawsuits filed against it, Microsoft claimed that the company did not tolerate employee discrimination and was focused on offering unbiased treatment to employees and promoting women and members of minority groups in its organization. However, few people bought their story. Willie Gray, one of the leading attorneys dealing in discrimination suits, argued that Microsoft showed plantation attitude when it came to dealing with African-American workers. Gray remarked that in 1999, only 2.6% of the Microsoft's employees and only 1.6% of its managers were Black. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Microsoft remained in the news for discriminating against women and African-Americans.

William H. Gates (Bill Gates), along with his friend Paul Allen, established Microsoft Corporation in 1975. Bill Gates initially focused on software instead of hardware. Over the next two decades, Microsoft emerged as one of the richest and most influential companies in the world. In 1998, the company became the world's most highly valued company, reporting a market capitalization value of $466 billion.

Microsoft is engaged in developing, manufacturing, licensing and supporting an extensive range of software products and services for a multitude of computing devices.